National Aug 11, 2018
North Korea detains Japanese man, casting cloud over abduction negotiations
Officials in Tokyo are worried the development will weaken its hand in the abduction talks by giving Pyongyang a new bargaining chip.
NEWSWORTHY
National | ANALYSIS Aug 1, 2018
'A matchless political dwarf': North Korea's state media spews venom at Japan amid thaw with U.S.
by Jesse Johnson
In the wake of the landmark Trump-Kim summit in Singapore, KCNA has released no critical stories about the U.S., filling that vacuum by vilifying Japan.
National / Politics Jul 29, 2018
North Korea blasts Japan's Aegis Ashore missile shield plans
In a commentary North Korea’s ruling party newspaper hits plans by Japan to deploy a land-based missile shield, saying the Abe administration wants to become a “military giant.”
National Jul 28, 2018
ASDF trains with B-52 heavy bombers in rare joint drill amid thaw with North Korea
by Jesse Johnson
The U.S. Air Force and Air Self-Defense Force conducted a joint exercise featuring American heavy bombers on Friday, in one of the first publicized bilateral military drills since U.S. President Donald Trump's landmark summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 12. The ...
National / Politics Jul 28, 2018
North Korea has established team to negotiate with Japan, sources say
While the leader of the team is unknown and exchanges are ongoing, progress on the abduction issue is likely to be slow as the denuclearization talks continue.
Asia Pacific Jul 24, 2018
North Korea begins dismantling key missile test site, satellite imagery suggests
by Jesse Johnson
North Korea has begun dismantling a key testing facility for its missile engines and rocket launches, according to a new analysis of satellite imagery released Monday. Imagery taken from Friday to Sunday indicates that the North had started to disassemble portions of its Sohae Satellite ...
National / Politics Jul 22, 2018
North Korea provides little new info on Japanese abductees: Tokyo
North Korea provided little new information regarding abducted nationals when officials contacted Pyongyang last month, according to a Japanese government source. When Japanese officials made contact around when the U.S.-North Korea summit took place June 12, North Korea repeated the results of their own investigation ...
National / Politics Jul 14, 2018
Japan likely faces long wait for summit with North Korea to become reality
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his administration are apparently preparing for a long wait before a Japan-North Korea summit becomes a reality. Government officials are believed to be skeptical that the issue of Japanese nationals kidnapped by North Korea decades ago can be resolved anytime ...
National Jul 13, 2018
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered his aides to "re-explain" to Tokyo the findings of a probe into the whereabouts of missing Japanese nationals suspected to have been abducted by Pyongyang decades ago, according to a South Korean activist. Kim gave the directive ...
National / Politics Jul 11, 2018
North Korea calls Abe 'kingpin of corruption,' blasts leader for denuclearization push
by Jesse Johnson
The newspaper of North Korea's ruling party lambasted Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday as a "kingpin of corruption" over his alleged roles in two graft scandals that had in recent months pulled down his approval ratings. The state-run Rodong Sinmun said in a commentary ...
National / Politics | ANALYSIS Jul 9, 2018
by Reiji Yoshida
In Tokyo following his latest visit to Pyongyang, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denies that Washington has softened its stance against North Korea. The U.S. is still demanding "complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID)" of the nuclear-armed hermit state, he said Sunday. Speculation has been ...
National / Politics Jul 8, 2018
Japan, U.S., South Korea foreign ministers to coordinate over North Korea
The foreign ministers of Japan, the United States and South Korea will seek to beef up coordination on Sunday amid uncertainty about North Korea's denuclearization path. The second trilateral meeting in less than a month follows U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Pyongyang ...